Albatross (Alcyone)
By Amanda Needham
They always told me I was a harbinger.
Vikings would quake at the sight of me with my
nine foot wingspan
and stormclouds that followed on my feathered gown.
Your name was false (King of the Oyster Thieves)
and when the sky darkened we came clean.
It was me you begged, with hands full of sea grass,
to build you a shelter.
Sea oak is not suitable to bear the load of our home,
the selkies could then take us in the night,
tearing down our wall with their heavily boned fins.
Or me, with my talons may wake to find you a mess of blood
and seaweed-
wings so sharp they may cut out your heart
and flood our house.
Do not love me, I don’t protect anything.
I only bring bad tidings
(on the tide)
I’ll just take flight and reign down,
while you on your barnacle throne
can safely surface so often,
and welcome the storm.
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